The purpose of this study was to evaluate if the ingestion of Plantago lanceolata (narrow leaf plantain) as a supplemental
forage reduces the oviposition of gastrointestinal nematodes in cattle less than one year of age.
The trial was conducted between April 14 and July 14, 2003 on a farm located 9 km from the city of Frutillar (41º,49`S; 73º,05`W)
in the province of Llanquihue, 10th Region, Chile. Two groups of 15 calves between 5 and 8 months old grazed for 17 hours
a day on a contaminated pasture composed mainly of gramineous and known to have a high infestation of Trichostrongylidae nematode
larvae. The paddock was divided into two areas, one for each calf group. During the remaining 7 hours of each day, the control
group grazed in an alternative pasture similar in composition to that of the contaminated pasture but with a low parasite
burden, while the other group grazed in a pasture containing Plantago lanceolata that also had a low parasite burden. This
regimen was maintained from April 24 to June 22, 2003.
Afterwards, both groups of animals grazed together in a special pasture with a low parasite burden for a period of 21 days.
Animals were weighed weekly and sampled for faeces samples for egg counts (epg) and to determine the genus of nematode larva
present. Grass samples were taken forthnightly from all pastures to establish their level of parasite burden. Precipitation
was measured daily.
Three weeks after the beginning of the trial, an increase in the average total eggs per gram of fecal material (epg) was observed,
agree with the end of the parasite prepatent period.
A significant difference (p<0.05) in the average total egg count was observed from the fourth to the seventh week of supplementation.
It was minor for the Plantago group. The genus which showed the greatest reduction in oviposition in the supplemented group
were Ostertagia and Trichostrongylus. Nematodirus was present in decreasing numbers as is common for animals of this age.
Cooperia was observed sporadically in both groups.
The parasite burden of the grass in the contaminated pasture was high during the whole period (mean 9.974 larvae/kg dry grass).
The alternative and Plantago pastures had parasite infestations of 195 and 96 larvae/kg dry grass respectively. All animals
gained weight during the first three weeks. After the finishing of the parasite prepatent period, the group supplemented with
P. lanceolata increased in weight by and average of 8.05 kg per animal more than the calves in the control group. There was
not significant difference (p>0.05).
It can be concluded that Plantago lanceolata as a supplemental forage, reduced significantly (p<0,05) the oviposition of gastrointestinal
parasites in calves. And the highest reduction observed belonged to the genera Ostertagia and Trichostrongylus.